The Gaeltacht

The term 'Gaeltacht' is used to describe the areas in Ireland where Irish is the main spoken language of the community. These areas are defined by the Irish Government. It is widely recognised that there is a need for policies and funding to ensure that these areas can function through the Irish language. It is of utmost importance that there are communities where the Irish language is spoken daily. In order for this to continue, support is needed to ensure these communities can run business and raise families through the Irish language.

The largest Gaeltacht areas are on the west coast, in Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Kerry. There are also Gaeltacht areas in Cork, Meath and Waterford, as well as six Gaeltacht islands around the country. The overall population of the Gaeltacht is 100,716 (2011 Census). Around 15,300 of this population live outside of the suburbs of Galway city.